How to prepare your DEAS Postgraduate Application

General admission criteria

Before you start putting your application together, please read through the pages of the Board of Graduate Studies, which contain all necessary information on entry criteria, fees, English language requirements and application deadlines. Please also consult the Faculty’s Graduate Handbook for up-to-date recent information. Keep in mind that, in order to be successful in the course, you need to have the required proficiency in English. Applicants for graduate work in Chinese, Japanese or East Asian Studies who are non-native speakers of English or have not taken a degree course in an English-speaking university will need to have either an IELTS minimum score of 7.5 overall (with 7.0 in each element); or a TOEFL minimum score of 620 or 260 in the computer-based test; or 110 in iBT (at least 25 in each element), plus 5.0 TWE.

NB: Please ensure that ALL required documentation is submitted/uploaded when you apply. Do not submit/upload partially completed applications when you apply on CamSIS otherwise we cannot guarantee that your application will be processed in good time and there is a risk that your application will not be considered.

Your research proposal

Graduate studies, especially in the case of doctoral candidates, entails a commitment of several years. It is therefore important that you try to articulate your own research interests as much as possible when applying to the programme. If you are clear about your own interests, your future supervisor will be able to evaluate your application with much more feedback. We strongly recommend that you explore in advance the research interests and publications of faculty members you would like to work with so that we can direct your application to the most appropriate members of staff. Do not hesitate to contact the person(s) you would like to work with to test your ideas but please keep in mind that members of staff may not always be able to offer detailed informal feedback on draft research proposals prior to application. While your research proposal will determine the general direction of your work, it is not always binding and will/may be modified as you progress. However, in order to help us evaluate your application you need to formulate your general field of interest, identify how you see your own graduate project, and articulate your expectations regarding the programme. Your research statement ideally should address the following points:

  • What is your broad field of interest? Specify field (religion, literature, history, thought, linguistics, anthropology, society etc.), main themes, and time period.

  • What specific topic(s) would you like to address in your project and why? How do you anticipate your work to be an original contribution to the field? What do you expect to be the main sources that need to be examined? You may include possible dissertation and/or paper proposals as well as a bibliography of secondary and primary sources.

  • Specify how your previous undergraduate/graduate career has prepared you for research work at Cambridge. How do you assess your own language skills (modern, classical, literary Chinese, Japanese, Korean), and what methodological training have you enjoyed so far? Do you have previous experience doing independent research? Identify your own strong points and point out what aspects of your training you would like to improve.

  • How can our programme serve your needs as a research student. What attracts you specifically to the Cambridge programme?

Samples of written work

In order to help us assess your writing skills, we ask all prospective graduate students to include at least one --but preferably two in the case of Ph.D. applicants-- substantial samples of academic writing with their application. These should be written in English on a topic you have worked on previously or a subject related to your proposed field of research. There is no prescribed length for this piece but we expect a sample to be least 15-20 pages. Please identify the context in which your submitted work was produced (e.g. previous coursework, previous dissertation work, publication etc.), sign to confirm your authorship of the writing sample and include any previous feedback (e.g. grades, examiner’s comments) if available. In addition to your writing sample(s), you are welcome to include any other pieces of writing, published or unpublished (in any language), which may support your application. Samples of writing should be submitted together with your application materials through the Board of Graduate Studies.

Funding

In putting together your application, it is important that you consider how you plan to fund your course. While the Department of East Asian Studies is able to offer occasional bursaries or scholarships (click here for currently announced awards), for your major source of funding you will need to apply to external funding bodies and research councils. Eligibility will vary depending on your subject, your country of origin etc. but it is worthwhile shopping around. Some potential sources for funding in Chinese studies are listed here but keep in mind that this list is not complete. The Department may at times have internal funds to support work on specific subject areas. It is therefore in your interest to indicate in your application which funding bodies you have approached so that we can explore options and, when appropriate, advise you on potential sources of funding you may be eligible for.

Timing your application

Graduate students in DEAS are admitted to start their course in October.

The very final deadline date for all postgraduate applications (i.e. for those applicants who do not wish to be considered for funding) will be 20 January 2012, however, please check the Graduate Handbook and the Admissions webpage for precise deadline details on the various funding awards available for 2011/12 as these will be earlier than 20 January 2012.

Please note that no further applications will be considered by the Faculty after
20 January 2012.

You must apply to the Board of Graduate Studies (not to the Faculty).

In order to avoid dissappointment, please ensure that you apply well in advance of the final deadline date. The earlier we receive your application, the earlier we can notify you whether or not your application has been successful. Note that early admission to the course is essential if you wish to meet deadlines for funding applications. Please refer to the following website from the Board of Graduate Studies for further information on funding:

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/fees/funding/index.html

Further queries regarding general admission criteria and deadlines should be addressed to our Graduate Programmes Administrator, Ms Natasha Sabbah (ns378@cam.ac.uk)

We are looking forward to seeing your application!